Sand Martin
Riparia riparia
The Sand Martin (Riparia riparia) is a common swallow found in 196 countries, weighing about 13 g. The sand martin, also known as the collared sand martin or common sand martin, and in the Americas as the bank swallow, is a migratory passerine bird in the swallow family Hirundinidae.
About the Sand Martin
The sand martin, also known as the collared sand martin or common sand martin, and in the Americas as the bank swallow, is a migratory passerine bird in the swallow family Hirundinidae. It has a wide range in summer, embracing practically the whole Holarctic area, from Europe, across Asia to the Pacific Ocean, and throughout North America. It winters in eastern and southern Africa, southern Asia, and South America.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The sand martin is brown above, white below with a narrow brown band on the breast; the bill is black, the legs brown. The young have rufous tips to the coverts and margins to the secondaries. Its brown back and breast band, white throat, small size and quick jerky flight separate it from similar swallows, such as the common house martin (Delichon urbicum), the American cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) and the tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor).
What the Sand Martin sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Vatican City, Guinea, Lesotho, Montserrat, St. Barthélemy, Turks & Caicos Islands, Liechtenstein, Palau.
When to see it
Best months: April, May, June, July, August, September, with peak activity in May. It is a summer visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Sand Martin?
- The sand martin is brown above, white below with a narrow brown band on the breast; the bill is black, the legs brown. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Sand Martin?
- The Sand Martin is a tiny sized bird weighing about 13 g.
- Where can you see a Sand Martin?
- The Sand Martin occurs in 196 countries, including the United States, Canada, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Finland.
- What does a Sand Martin sound like?
- You can listen to 3 field recordings of the Sand Martin on this page, contributed to xeno-canto under open licences.
- What birds look similar to a Sand Martin?
- The Sand Martin is most easily confused with the Brown-throated Martin, the Grey-throated Martin and the Pale Martin.
- Is the Sand Martin endangered?
- The Sand Martin is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Sand Martin for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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